


Bromance

by allmilhouse



Category: Barry (TV 2018)
Genre: Established Relationship, Late Night Conversations, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-29 14:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19402504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmilhouse/pseuds/allmilhouse
Summary: Barry’s struggling to connect with a role, and Hank tries to help him





	Bromance

The scene: Yoshinoya, the one on Sherman. It’s slightly out of their way but it’s open later than the one on Lankershim. It’s just after midnight on Friday, and Barry sits at the table by the window, reading the same page of script over and over. 

Hank sits opposite, alternating between finishing his habanero chicken and checking his Instagram. Quiet for once, giving Barry space to process his script. The silence is comfortable, familiar. A late night routine for the guys. He glances over, notes just how furrowed Barry’s brow is, and gently puts his phone aside. “What’s wrong?”

“What? Oh, it’s just this thing for class.” 

Hank smiles, waits for Barry to continue. He always looks at Barry with this sense of amazement in his eyes, like Barry is some great source of wonder. Barry finds it hard to meet his gaze, and shuffles his script. “One of the guys in my class has an audition coming up, for a commercial. I offered to help him.”

“That’s super great! What do you have to do?”

“It’s for a beer commercial,” he says, downplaying it. “It’s not much, it’s just this group of guys who always have each other’s backs or something.”

“That sounds fun!” Hank declares, full of childish delight. “And beer commercials are huge. Is this like, a super bowl ad?”

“God no! I mean, I hope not. It’s not that good,” he sighs. “I can’t figure it out though. I haven’t had a group of guy friends since the marines. It’s tough getting into that mindset again.”

Hank nods sympathetically before brightening. “But you have me though. We have each other’s backs all the time!”

“It’s not like that-“ he tries to explain, head in his hands but Hank continues. 

“I have a problem, anything at all, and I call you. You solve it like some superhuman badass, and then we go celebrate. And you? You tell me about your acting problems, and I try to help.” He punctuated his explanation by pointing his plastic fork at Barry, flinging rice everywhere. “You got this, man. True friendship is answering the phone at 2am, and not just for booty calls.”

His loud voice echoed around the empty restaurant and Barry was sure the staff had heard him, but Hank was oblivious to his mortification. “Look, there’s more to it than that,” he tried to explain, glaring at Hank. “These are like frat guys. They pull pranks and stuff.”

“Like when you swapped my sunscreen with a lower SPF and I got super sunburned at Magic Mountain?” 

“That was a mistake! And I rubbed aloe on you for like a month after.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling loudly. “You’re still not getting it. These guys are _bros_.”

Hank stared him down. “Barry. No offense but what the fuck? Can you sit there with a straight-ish face and tell me we are not bros?” 

He hesitated. He didn’t think drawing on his complicated relationship with Hank would help him nail the role of _Friend #3_. They were dating after all! He couldn’t channel his romantic feelings into platonic camaraderie. 

But then he remembered drinking with Hank, going from bar to bar, having the time of their lives. Renting a truck to help Hank move. Hi-fiving after riding Goliath together. Countless nights watching movies together, Hank showing up with bootleg dvds, and Barry pointing out acting techniques he’d learned in class. 

“You’re right,” he finally said. “I guess I thought of you as my boyfriend instead.”

Hank looked genuinely touched. “Aww, bro!” he cooed. 

“Yeah, well,” Barry looked away again, all shy. “Should we go, uh?”

“Make out in the parking lot?” Hank supplied eagerly, and Barry blushed again. 

“I was going to say fist bump, but yours is better.”

Barry got up to throw out their garbage, and watched Hank refill his Sierra Mist, a fond smile on his face. They slipped out into the cool night air, shoulders bumping companionably as they faded from view. 

.

**Author's Note:**

> this was gonna be a part of a longer story but I think it works better like this?? But now I kinda want to write them going on a date at a theme park??


End file.
